Planning & White Petals (6/19/13)
Hello! & Thank you for stopping by,
I have been so busy and so inspired lately, it has been a struggle for my hands to keep up with my mind. I am by no means complaining. I have definitely had weeks and months where I feel like I tried every trick in the book to be inspired and it just did not fly. Let me catch you up to what has been going on in the life of Well-Loved. I decided to make my purses available for wholesale, and it has been such a success for me. I was nervous even though I have spent many sleepless nights perfecting the bags and making sure they were durable and quality. Handcrafting something and then attempting to sell it really can bring up your own idea of yourself. I was worried that my products would be too expensive if I began doing wholesale to retail. When you sell wholesale, your prices on your website and the price that the store sells for our double what you pay yourself and what your materials are. It definitely puts you in a different price bracket, but it has been such a great leap for me.
After I counted every single inch of thread and went through every seed bead used on the handle of the Wallace, I had my exact material costs. I had my prices in hand and decided it was time to pitch my purses to some boutiques in downtown Savannah. Talk about a test of confidence! Firstly realizing that your product does not need to be desperately discounted, and then on top of it having a truly wonderful classy boutique, 24e, decides to pick up two of your collections. Definitely check out the stunning display that their employees have put together, if you're in the Savannah area.
* http://www.24estyle.com/products/itty-bitty-wristlet
I am now working on a bridal collection and my a new all-piece collection. This new collection will feature a bigger Itty Bitty, (now with space for your iphone) and cardholders. I am swooning over the colors right now, they are gorgeous. They remind me of 1940's handkerchiefs, and fields of wildflowers. I am in love for sure.
Desoto Row: Savannah,GA: My favorite flowering trees that grew on my street in Chicago
Savannah, GA: Late night studio time!: Next collection in the work: Color Palette love
Savannah, GA: Playing with jewelry on a rainy Sunday: Made a necklace and earrings
The bridal collection is going to act as a vessel for the "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." I got some great pale blue leather 2 weeks ago at Measure: a Fabric Parlor, and thought about the pure amazingness this leather could contribute to a bridal collection. I dreamt about beautiful linings for the bridal collection back in Winter. I thought how gorgeous it would be to have a ivory or pale blue lining with lace stitched delicately on top I thought it would be great to have the purses customizable. You could have a pearl button from your mother's wedding dress be the closure, or a appliqué of lace from her dress on the lining. I am working on the basic collection and a look book right now to better present these ideas. I also thought how wonderful it would be to be able to screen-print a message from the groom to the bride on the inside of the purse. I have been loving working with lace and pearls the past few days. I have attached some photos below of the swatches for the bridal collection. Enjoy!
Savannah,GA: Well-Loved's Bridal Collection: White leather, blue cotton and dotted lace
Savannah, GA: Well-Loved's Bridal Collection: Pale blue leather, ivory lining, and thick lace
I Hope you guys enjoyed the photos and an update of everything going on with the business. I am going to make my best attempt to update every Wednesday. I hope you a lovely week for you all full of sun and wonderful things. Always remember you are well-loved. ♥
-Gianina
